a human rights group reports the regime shelled a bakery and killed 20 people, including at least eight children. we cannot independently confirm that. we're joined by a journalist who specializes on middle east affairs. this is a significant defection, lisa, and it appears from the you don't see that you have bashar al-assad losing his grip on power. >> absolutely. this is one of the most significant diminishing of power for the bashar al-assad regime. we've seen the military be a full supporter of asaid. a few defections but nothing of that caliber that would keep him there. there's a few factors that since march of 2011 when uprisings began in syria that helped assad stayed in power. little by little we see these factors dissolve, one the military and this large defection we had today. the other being support from russia. the two other elements that still remain in place, however, keeping him there, are thal away community, the minority shiite community assad comes from are still in place and a supporter as well as the iranian have a regime. -- regime. we're getting closer and the ne